“I like the nature of policing in a rural environment – officers have to work so closely as a team, from the constable driving the van to the superintendent, we are all one group of people trying to achieve the best outcomes for the community.”

Mr Bertoncello said he wanted to foster good engagement between police and the community.

“We are so remote and we have about 90 police to cover a massive area, so you can’t work without good engagement,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to building on that relationships and improving communication with the community.

“The region is a relatively safe place to live and work, and I want to make sure people feel that way.”

Mr Bertoncello said he enjoyed helping people.

“It sounds really simple but I think most police officers join the job for that reason,” he said.

“Sometimes we lose focus of that, but at the end of the day, we are here to help.

“My role within the organisation now will be to help the community and also help my own officers with what they want to achieve.

“I want everyone to feel really proud of the efforts they put into the community.”